Machine for lasting, sewing and trimming shoes



Oct. 28, 1952 R. E. SUTTON ETAL MACHINE FOR LASTING, SEWING, AND TRIMMING SHOES Filed Jan. 23, 1951 2 SHEETS-SHEET l Zwen [onsl- Fwz, z. Suffer? MV/fam E. Was/r M u h 0d. 28, 1952 SUTTON r 2,615,185

MACHINE FOR LASTING, SEWING, AND TRIMMING SHOES Filed Jan. 23, 1951 2 SI-lEETS--SHEET 2 M zqventors:

f. Suffer? 60 M/fiam f. Wask .54 I

Patented Get. 28, 1%52 STATES TENT rrice MACHINE FOR LASTING, SEWING AND TRIMMING SHOES New Jersey Appiication .lanuary 23, 1951, Serial No. 207,26?

7 Claims.

The present invention relates to shoe machines and more particularly to improvements in machines for facilitating the manufacture of slip lasted shoes of the type disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,566,361, granted September a, 1951, on an application filed in the name of Benjamin F. Parrelli.

Shoe construction according to the method proposed by the Parrelli application includes the steps of providing a shoe upper having a lasting allowance at one end of a shoe, securing together an upper and a sock lining about the end of the shoe after placing a last in the shoe and thereafter severing the lasting allowance to enable a platform to be applied to the shoe bottom and a cover strip connected to the upper and lasted over the platform sole in such a way that the shoe may be completed according to accepted slip lasted shoe methods of construction. An object of the present invention is to provide a shoe iasting and sewing machine of the thread lasting type disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,864,510, granted June 21, 1932, in the name of B. T. Leveque so arranged that a shoe may be lasted and the lasting allowance trimmed from the shoe in a more effective manner than heretofore.

As will more fully be pointed out in the following description, the machine embodying the features of the present invention includes fastening devices, an upper engaging roll, a member between Which and the peripheral surface of the roll the outturned upper and sole member of a shoe are gripped, means for rotating the roll to draw the upper against a last on which the sole member is mounted, and a knife mounted for action between the points of operation of the fastening devices and the gripping engagement of the roll to sever the upper as the operation progresses. Preferably, the fastening devices of the machine including a needle act to insert thread stitches, and the knife severs the shoe parts between the needle and the roll. In accomplishing a simplification of the method of shoe construction the upper and sock lining are provided with corresponding lasting allowances of substantially greater width at one end of the shoe than the allowances provided along the sides of the shoe, and the upper and sock lining are united along the sidesof the shoe to enable the shoe to be conformed to a last thereafter inserted, the upper and sock lining being united along said end of the shoe by a seam extending close to the edge of the last while tensioning the upper along the lasting allowances and simultaneously trimthing the allowance close to the seam. The invention also embodies certain constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed, the advantages of which will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a View in side elevation, partly broken away and in section looking from the right of a portion of a stitchdown thread lasting machine embodying the features of the present invention and illustrating the manner of operation of the machine upon a shoe;

Fig. 2 is a View in front elevation of portions of the machine illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in front elevation on a substantia1ly enlarged scale of portions of parts surrounding the sewing point in the machine;

Fig. 4 is a side sectional View taken through the sewing point of the parts illustrated in Fig.3;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 of a modified form of the machine;

Fig. 6 is a side sectional view similar to Fig. 4 of the modified form of parts shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a sectional detail view on anenlarged scale taken along the line VII+VII of Fig. 2;

. Fig. 18 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line VIIIVIII of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 9 is a perspective View showing the manner of trimming a lasting allowance outside the lasting seam of a shoe with relation to the margins provided along the sides of the shoe. 7

The machine illustrated in the drawings is. intended to operate upon a slip-lasted shoe which when completed is of the same construction as disclosed in the Parrelli patent above-identified. The machine is particularly advantageous for use in manufacturing this type of .shoe since it enables two operations which heretofore were performed separately to be performed with the present machine simultaneously and with more uniform results than possible in separate operations. The Parrelli shoe is in the nature of a stitchdown shoe but instead of completing the shoe according to the usual stitchdown method, a 'wrapper or cover strip is applied so that the bottom may have attached thereto a platform sole provided with covered edges and with an outsole on its tread surface.

The shoe of the type referred to includes an upper 2, a doubler i, an upper lining 6 and a flexible sock lining 8. The upper assembly comprising the upper, doubler and upper liningare each cut with relatively narrow outflanged seam allowances along their lower side edges and with substantially wider lasting allowances at one or both ends of the shoe than the seam allowances along the sides, Fig. 9 illustrating the lasting allowance at the toe end of the shoe. The outflanged upper assembly is joined along the sides of the upper to the projecting marginal portions of the sock lining 8 by a seam comprising stitching l inserted before the last is inserted with a conventional type sewing machine. The stitching l0 extends from the lasting allowance at the heel end of the shoe to the toe end, passing through the upper assembly and the sock lining in close proximity to the edges of the parts, the toe and heel ends of the shoe remaining as yet unsewn. After the sides of the upper assembly and sock lining are joined together a last 9 is placed inside the shoe. To assist in shaping the parts and bringing them into conformity with the last, the toe and heel ends of the shoe on the last are then formed by suitable toe and heel forming machines, a toe forming machine of practical construction being disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,861,832, granted June 7, 1932, in the name of W. C. Baxter. After the toe and heel forming operations are performed the toe and heel portions of the shoe are lasted, drawn together and permanently secured by a seam including stitching l2, as best shown in Fig. 9, extending around the respective ends of the shoe. The lasting allowances at the ends of the shoe are of substantial advantage in assisting the grip of the lasting devices in the machine for conforming the parts to the last and for inserting the stitching as will be hereinafter described.

In the method disclosed in the Parrelli patent above referred to the relatively wide lasting allowances at the ends of the shoe are trimmed close to the lasting seam l2 to bring edges of the parts into line with the relatively narrow edges of the seam allowances at the sides of the shoe along the line of stitching [0. In the accomplishment of this trimming operation it has been proposed to employ a hand knife or a hand controlled trimming machine. However the trimming operation is performed, frequent difficulty arises from lack of uniformity along the lasting seam line and the trimmed edges of the parts, which lack of uniformity may cause irregularities in the appearance of the completed shoe. If the edges are trimmed too close to the seam line the stitching l2 may be intersected by the trimming devices with resulting injury to the threads and consequent defects in the shoe construction.

To enable reliable and uniform results to be obtained in trimming away of the lasting allowance at an end of a shoe with the use of the illustrated machine, the trimming operation is effected simultaneously with the lasting and sewing. To this end the machine is equipped with a reciprocating trimming, knife 14 acting in an advantageous manner, to be described more fully, between the grip of the lasting devices on the lasting allowances and the point of sewing operations.

The lasting and sewing machine of the Leveque patent, above identified, as well as the present machine comprises a pair of intermittently rotated rolls I6 and I8 for gripping between their peripheral surfaces the marginal portions within the lasting allowances of the upper and sock lining of the shoe. The sock lining of the shoe is a sole member and because of its relative flexibility it is possible while sewing to carry the upper somewhat around the edge or break line of the last, partially onto the tread surface of the shoe in a manner illustrated in Fig. 4. For this purpose the machine of the Leveque patent has been modified in accordance with the disclosure of United States Letters Patent No. 2,246,993, granted June 24, 1941, in the name of J. P. Fredricksen.

The lower roll I8 is mounted directly upon a hollow shaft 20 provided with a, helical gear 22 engaged by a similar gear 24 fixed to a shaft 26 extending crosswise to the shaft 20. The shaft 26 is rotated intermittently by mechanism including a Horton or a ratchet clutch the construction of which is more fully disclosed in the Leveque patent. The upper engaging or top roll 16 is mounted to rotate upon a, supporting stud 28 clamped to a member 30 which is pivoted at 32 upon a fixed portion of the main frame forming a bearing for the shaft 20. To rotate the roll [6 it is connected to mechanism including a helical gear 33 engaging a helical gear 34 fixed to one end of a second ratchet driven shaft 36 rotatably mounted in the member 30 in crosswise relation to the stud 28. The arrangement is such that the member 30 supporting the stud 28 and the top roll l6 may be raised and lowered yieldingly to bring the top roll into lasting engagement with the upper of a shoe.

To clamp the upper and sock lining of the shoe yieldingly the member 30 is acted upon by a compression spring 38 confined between a lug on the member 30 and a pair of check nuts 40 threaded on a pin 42 slidably mounted at its lower end in the member 30 and pivoted on a swivel pin 44 projecting from a lever 46. The lever 45 is pivoted on a stud 48 secured in the machine frame so that the spring 38 with the pin 42 and the lower arm of the lever 46 form a yielding toggle to maintain the top clamping roll l6 in gripping engagement with the lasting allowance at the end of the shoe. As the rolls perform their lasting operation the lasting allowance is itensioned, drawing the shoe upper progressively along the shoe inwardly of the machine into engagement with the last and against a work guiding support 50 below the sock lining and an upper guard and guide 52 on the outer end of the stud 28 supporting the roll I6.

To complete the lasting operation and to secure the upper and sock lining permanently in tensioned relation against the last on which they are supported, stitches are inserted and tightened between the gripping area of the rolls on the shoe parts and the last. For this purpose the machine has fastening devices comprising a re ciprocating straight eye-pointed needle 54 operating across the diameters of the clamping rolls and cooperating with a rotary loop taker 56 secured to the outer end of a main sewing shaft 58 to form a chain stitch seam. The shaft 58 runs inside the hollow shaft 20. The needle 54 is protected from contact with the shoe upper by the projecting portion of the guide 52 close to the point of needle operation.

In order to sever the lasting allowance of the upper and sock lining so that the parts will be trimmed simultaneously with the insertion of the seam and to provide a trimmed edge accurately in line with the edges of the shoe parts along the sides of the shoe, the guard and guide 52 is intersected across its forward face with an open vertical slot 60 having undercut edges forming a guideway for the reciprocating trimming knife I4. The knife 14 is constructed from a fiat bar sharpenedgat'its-lowerendand secured at its upper end in aclamp: For thispurposethe upper end is'beveled'at '62: (see Fig. '7) along its right edge andis engaged bymating-surfaces of a groove ina block 64mountedon a bolt 66 passing transversely to the length of the knife M. The upper end of the knife is also engagedby, a clamp plate 68 through which'the' bolt-B6 passes and the-bolt is supported in" a flanged'eccentric sleeve Hi having a reduced concentric portion extending into a counterb'oreatone end'of' the block 64; The eccentric portion of the, sleeve is rotatably mounted for adjustment in a bearing at the lower end oflanzactuatinglink 12, the upper end of which is rotatable on a pivotscrew M- fixed to a lever'lfi fulcrumed' on a stud I8 secured in-turn to the'machine frame. The upper end of the lever 76" isyslotted to receive apin- Ew -projecting froma-split'collar 82 clamped to a bar 84 at the lower end of which theneedle 5 3 is fixed. The bar 84 is mounted'for reciprocation in vertical hearings in themachine frame and is actuated by a link 86 connected with one arm of a bell crank 88 and by other mechanism for actuating the needle more fully described in the Leveque patent. The connections thus described with the needle actuating mechanism cause the knife to sever the shoe upper and sock lining after the needle engages the work and while it is still in engagement with the work, holding the work stationary against any possibility of displacement.

Besides being held by the needle while the'lknife M is acting the work is clamped within the gripping area of the rolls causing the shoe parts to be trimmed accurately and in extremely close proximity to the point of needle operation. Thus, the seam margin resulting has its edges located with certainty in parallel relation to the thread extending between completed stitches in the work at a uniform distance from the edges sufiicient only to insure adequate holding power of the stitches without any possibility of the knifes intersecting the thread of the stitches. The trimmed edge of the seam accordingly can be brought closer to the seam line in a practical shoe making operation than is possible with a separate trimming operation after the seam is inserted. This advantage together with the fact that the trimming operation is performed simultaneously with the lasting and sewing introduces an extremely favorable labor saving and work handling feature for a practical shoe manufacturing process.

To insure complete severance of the shoe parts operated upon the lower roll I8 is provided within its outer face with a threaded counterbore for the reception of a correspondingly threaded cup member 99 (see Figs. 1, 3 and a). The cup member 90 has a flanged rim spaced from the forward edge of the roll it to form a shoulder spaced from the roll [8. The space between the shoulder and the roll is of sufficient width and depth to receive the cutting edge of the knife M, the knife passing across the shoulder to shear the projecting portions of the upper assembly and sock lining.

The construction of the present invention is of advantage when used for conventional stitchdown shoe manufacture as well as with the type of shoe construction disclosed in the Parrelli patent. When employed for conventional stitchdown shoe manufacture a relocation is made for the knife in the clamp 64, 68 to bring the cutting edge of the knife to a position at the lower end ofits strokewhere it will trim the lasting margin of the upper without severing the sole member of the shoe.

Referring more-particularlyto Figs. 5 and 6, theknife Hi is illustrated as trimming the upper Zonly. The portion of the shoe shown in these figures, instead of being provided with asock lining of flexible nature hasa-conventional sole member 92 composed of relatively stiff and thick material. The usual practice in completing a shoe of this type is to apply an outsole and awelt covering the projecting margin of the upper and forming a finished strip for the projecting margin of the sole member. With the present machine the-edge of'the upper may be trimmed with an extremely narrow margin along the line of'the seam without danger of cutting the threads in theseam. When a welt of the stitchdown type isapplied to the projecting margins of the upper and sole member the trimmed edge of the upper will be covered completely. and will not be exposed between the welt strip and the sole member as in the usual form of stitchdown shoe construction. To assist in covering the edge of the upper a welt formed with a rabbet to receive the upper edge may be used;

The nature and scope of the invention having been indicated and a particular embodiment having been described what-is claimed is:

1. A-machine for lasting shoes having fastening devices, an upper engaging roll, a member between which and the peripheral surface of the roll the outturned upper and sole member of a shoe are gripped and means for-rotating the roll and guiding the shoe to draw the upper against a last on which the sole member is mounted progressively along the shoe, in combination with a knife mounted for action between the point of operation of the fastening devices and the gripping area of the roll to sever the shoe upper as the operation progresses.

2. A machine for lasting shoes having stitch forming devices, an upper engaging roll, a member between which and the peripheral surface of the roll the outturned upper and sole member of a shoe are gripped and means for rotating the roll and guiding the shoe to draw the upper against a last on which the sole member is mounted progressively along the shoe, in combination with a knife mounted for action between the point of operation of the stitch forming devices and the gripping area of the roll to sever the shoe upper as the operation progresses.

3. A machine for lasting shoes having stitch forming devices including a needle, mechanism for actuating the needle, an upper engaging roll a member between which and the peripheral surface of the roll the outturned upper and sole member of a shoe are gripped and means for rotating the roll and guiding the shoe to draw the upper against a last on which the shoe is mounted progressively along the shoe, in combination with a knife mounted for action between the point of operation of the needle and the gripping area of the roll and connections with the needle actuating mechanism for moving the knife to sever the shoe upper while the needle engages the work.

4. A machine for lasting shoes having stitch forming devices including a needle, an upper engaging roll, a sole engaging roll between which and the peripheral surface of the upper engaging roll the outturned upper and sole member are gripped and means for rotating the rolls and guiding the work to draw the upper against a last on which the shoe is mounted progressively along the shoe, in combination with a knife slidably mounted between the point of operation of the needle and the gripping areas of the rolls and connections between the knife and the needle for moving the knife to sever the shoe upper while the needle engages the work.

5. A machine for lasting shoes having stitch forming devices including a needle, an upper engaging roll, a sole engaging roll between which and the peripheral surface of the upper engaging roll the outturned upper and sole member are gripped and means for rotating the rolls and guiding the work to draw the upper against a last on which the shoe is mounted progressively along the shoe, in combination with a knife slidably mounted between the point of operation of the needle and the gripping areas of the rolls, connections between the knife and the needle for moving the knife to sever the shoe upper while the needle engages the work and means carried by the sole member engaging roll provided with a shoulder along which the knife passes to shear the projecting portions of the upper and sole member from the shoe.

6. A machine for lasting shoes having stitch forming devices including a needle, an upper engaging roll, a sole engaging roll between which and the peripheral surface of the upper engaging roll the outturned upper and sole member are gripped and means for rotating the rolls and guiding the Work to draw the upper against a last on which the shoe is mounted progressively along the shoe, in combination with a knife slidably mounted between the point of operation of the needle and the gripping areas of the rolls, connections between the knife and the needle for moving the knife to sever the shoe upper while the needle engages the work and a cup member carried by the sole member engaging roll provided with a shoulder about its rim along which the knife passes to shear the projecting portions of the upper and sole member from the shoe.

'7. A machine for lasting shoes having stitch forming devices including a needle, an upper engaging roll a member between which and the peripheral surface of the roll the outturned upper and sole member are gripped, a stud about which the upper engaging roll is mounted to rotate and means for rotating the roll and guiding the shoe to draw the upper over the last progressively along the shoe, in combination with a knife mounted for reciprocation on the end of the roll supporting stud with its sharpened edge disposed between the needle and the roll to sever the upper during operation of the stitch forming devices.

RALPH E. SUTTON. WILLIAIJ E. TRASK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,198,405 Bates Sept. 19, 1916 1,212,170 Bates Jan. 16, 1917 1,822,852 Kelly Sept. 9, 1931 2,447,062 Fredericksen Aug. 17, 1948 

